The book is about “a good life and the principles that, if followed, enable us to achieve such a life. This is not a scholarly exposition of Ecclesiastes, nor is it a text-by-text Bible study. It’s about real-life topics that people want to talk about as they simply read Ecclesiastes.” P. 2

“How to Have a Good Life in a Messy World is my effort to share the insights I have gained from traveling, living, and teaching in various parts of the world—and from my own experiences of personal loss and personal fulfillment along the journey. Like you, dear reader, I’ve seen a lot and been through a lot. It’s time for me, in some measure, to sum it all up.” P. 3

Mr. Black draws out topics from passages in Ecclesiastes and develops them from his experience. Topics discussed include timing, life’s downsides, life’s basics, work, pleasure, helping the oppressed, knowing what can’t be changed in life, diversifying generosity, youth, old age, and centering one’s life on God.

How to Have a Good Life is well-written and interesting. Advice will be found on what foods are acceptable and what should be avoided when traveling in other countries (p.42) and what kind of comments should be avoided in other countries. Mr. Black shares his first-hand observations of the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia (pp. 114-118) and the fall of the Berlin Wall (pp. 127-129). Mr. Black suggests that husbands and wives with children should fly on separate planes (p. 143). The reader will find many more insights in the pages of this engaging book.